Hair analysis has become an exciting subject of scientific inquiry. In the past, the value of assessing the nutritional status of patients with respect to essential metals has not been appreciated. It is only recently that research findings are being correlated and applied to the diagnosis of sub-clinical and chronic disease.
Hair is known to retain metals. Hair analysis has been used extensively to detect toxic concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury, and cadmium. Its use to detect essential metals such as zinc and copper is less well known.
Through hair analysis, we are now learning more about how mineral deficiencies affect the composition of body tissue. Ingested minerals are assimilated by different people at different rates and are needed in different proportions by different tissues. Hair analysis affords a graphic record of the intracellular reactions and interactions of the enzymes activated by metals during a period of three to four weeks preceeding the sampling.
Most sub-clinical and chronic diseases manifest themselves over periods of longer than three to four weeks. Accordingly, it would be desirable to analyze hair that has been growing for a longer period of time.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved method of hair analysis that provides an extensive history.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method of hair analysis that can be used to diagnose sub-clinical and chronic disease over an extended period of time.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.